1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electroacoustic transducer and more particularly to a laminated electroacoustic reed hydrophone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reed hydrophones are known to the art, one such hydrophone being disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 3,603,921. The hydrophone in that patent has an electroacoustic transducer in the form of a flexible resilient reed having laminates of piezoelectric material and electrode material bonded to opposite surfaces thereof. The reed is affixed at one end in cantilever manner to an inertial mass, the other end being free, and impinging sound waves on the reed sides cause the reed to flex generating an electrical output corresponding to the reed deflection. In another electroacoustic reed assembly, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,546, two pairs of laminated reeds are connected to a central inertial mass. One end of each reed is connected in cantilever manner to the mass, the reeds in each pair extending from opposite sides of the mass. A viscous paste is between the other end of each reed and the interior wall of a housing. A sound wave impinging on the housing and having a directional component parallel to a reed, causes compressional flexing of that reed and an electrical output corresponding to the degree of flexing of the reed.
Such previous reed hydrophones while serving satisfactorily as electroacoustic transducers for certain purposes were limited as to sensitivity, adaptability, versatility, weight, dimension and/or mechanical complexity and relatively expensive manufacture.